Supports – Brackets
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-11
2001-09-18
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
C248S224700, C248S314000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290193
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to flexible sign panels and in particular to such sign panels which are rolled up for compact storage.
2. Description of Related Art
Temporary highway signs warning motorists of roadside work activities have been employed for some time. It is common today, for warning sign systems to be considered in the early stages of planning a roadside improvement. With higher rates of speed and increased volume of traffic, a need for more advanced warning of temporary worksite conditions has been recognized. The implemetation of large numbers of signs of increased visibility and which are easy to deploy would aid in this regard.
Improvements to temporary warning signs have been realized by providing flexible message panels, typically make of a flexible fabric, such as plastic mesh material made of polyethylene or vinyl plastics. Over the years, these types of panels were improved with the addition of fluorescent materials to increase their ability to reflect light from oncoming vehicles. Commonly, reinforcing ribs or struts are used to maintain the flexible panels in a flat message-displaying condition. Ribs of glass fiber composition have been a popular choice for suspending flexible message panels. However, light weight metal tubing has also been a popular choice for displaying flexible message panels, and collapsible supporting systems have been proposed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,601.
Flexible sign panels must be stretched taut to maintain a flat position. Wind gusts and traffic induced wind bursts put substantial strain on a flexible sign panel, particularly at its points of support. Accordingly, various arrangements for joining supporting ribs to a flexible message panel have been proposed. For example, fabric pockets have been employed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,899,843 and 3,526,200, while resilient straps have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,158. As an alternative solution, rigid panel pockets have been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,426,800 and 4,490,934. However, improvements are still being sought to provide a more compact storage of flexible message panel systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for attaching a support member to a flexible message panel, particularly at the corners of the flexible message panel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting arrangement of the above-described type which allows a flexible message panel and its supporting members to be collapsed and rolled into a compact package for storage.
A further object of the present invention is to provide mounting apparatus in the form of a rigid pocket which safely transmits forces from the supporting ribs to the message panel fabric while remaining flexible to permit advantages of compact storage.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide mounting apparatus of the above-described type which is constructed from a minimum number of inexpensive parts.
These and other objects according to the principles of the present invention are provided in a mounting receptacle for attaching a support rib to a flexible panel, comprising:
a housing portion defining an interior cavity and an opening leading to the interior cavity, dimensioned to received the support rib, the housing portion having an upper wall, a floor with a bottom surface for engaging the flexible panel, and a rear wall and a pair of side walls extending between the upper wall and the floor;
the side walls and the floor extending beyond the rear wall to form a mounting location with first means for attachment to the panel;
a threshold portion having an upper surface for guiding the support rib toward the opening, a lower surface and second means for attachment to the panel; and
hinge means coupling the threshold portion and the housing portion so as to dispose the threshold portion in front of the opening.
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Dicke Grant D.
Williams Jeffrey A.
DeLuca J.
Dicke Tool Company
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Ramirez Ramon O.
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